Machines for packaging products, such as soda cans or bottles, in paperboard cartons are well known in the art. The packaging machine separates the products into groups and transports the groups adjacent to a carton conveyor where a loading mechanism pushes the groups of products into open ends of cartons that are configured as tubular structures. Thereafter, as the loaded cartons are transported along the carton conveyor path, adhesive such as hot glue: can be applied to end flaps of each carton. The end flaps are then folded and secured to one another and each packed and closed carton can then be shipped for retail sale.
Packaging machines generally do not have the flexibility to “changeover,” that is to be reconfigured to package cartons that vary in size or that are folded according to different folding procedures. Given the size, cost, and complexity of these machines, this lack of versatility is expensive. Therefore, it is advantageous to design machines which are as adaptable as possible.
Designing such versatile packaging machines poses many challenges. At the very least, these machines must successfully load and construct a carton while operating under steady state conditions in which cartons continuously travel through the packaging machine on a carton conveyor or belt conveyor. It is also desired that the packaging machines are able to finish loading and sealing certain partially erected cartons when the carton conveyor is stopped. The carton conveyor may be stopped, for example, at end of a worker's shift, at the end of a work day, or because of trouble along the carton conveyor path, such as due to a misfed carton. Conveyor stoppage is referred to herein as either a cycle stop or an emergency stop (e-stop). In each of these instances, some cartons remaining along the carton conveyor path have had glue applied to their end flaps, but have not had their end flaps folded and secured together. The glue can cool or cure before the conveyor is restarted and, thus, when the conveyor is restarted, folding and pressing the end flaps of these cartons together will not cause the end flaps to be secured to one another and the carton construction is unsuccessful. A versatile carton packaging machine design, therefore, functions to complete the construction of loaded packages during a cycle stop or an e-stop and to be adaptable to accommodate various carton configurations.